


she wears short skirts (i wear them too)

by rachelbailey



Series: got secrets you won't see on stage [1]
Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Falling In Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 23:32:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7661476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachelbailey/pseuds/rachelbailey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the high school au nobody wanted but all needed</p><p>or</p><p>trixie and katya become best friends but then don't know how to react to feelings</p>
            </blockquote>





	she wears short skirts (i wear them too)

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is based on tumblr user kate-boosh's trixya high school art - you can find it here: http://kate-boosh.tumblr.com/post/148344846673/trixya-highschool-au !! please go tell them their art is amazing

They’re all wearing the same school uniform but Trixie will never stop wondering why Katya looks so much better wearing it than she does. She doesn’t even begin to think how good Violet looks like in her school uniform, because really, Violet’s just one of those people who can make everyone else question their life choices just by showing up. Luckily she doesn’t have to think about Violet right now, because she’s been expelled for a week for “inappropriate clothing”. Trixie guesses that the teachers finally had enough of the garter belts and five inch heels. Violet probably doesn’t care about being temporarily expelled. If something, it only fuels her to do something even more outrageous.

Trixie’s right. Next time when she sees Violet, the dark-haired girl is obviously wearing a corset underneath her shirt. 

Trixie has noticed that Katya isn’t as bold with her uniform as her best friend is. Katya rebels by wearing bright red lipstick and piling her hair up so it looks more like a bird’s nest than something that has anything to do with actual hair. If Katya was anyone else, people would probably question her and maybe even make fun of her. But because she’s Katya with the cheekbones, Katya with the good eyeliner and wheezing laugh, Katya who is friends with everybody, nobody dares to talk shit about her.

Trixie is not that special. She has accepted that a long time ago. She’s got big eyes, weird eyebrows and thick thighs, and that’s not going to make you popular in high school. She also likes to wear a bit more blush than others would, but when the cool girls (Jasmine and Ginger, always finding reasons to pick on others) made fun of her blush, she just decided to add some more. Trixie knows she could make herself look conventionally pretty, but she doesn’t want to be like the others. She has found her own thing and she’s going to stick with it. No matter what.

It’s yet again another school day, and Trixie’s slowly making her way to French class. She doesn’t even care about the stupid language, she would’ve wanted to study Korean with her friend Kim, but the Korean class was already full when Trixie tried to sign up for it. The school requires everyone to study at least one foreign language, so Trixie had to choose between French and Spanish. She had had some idiotic thought about French being the language of love and fashion, so she had signed up for French. She regrets the decision every day. 

Walking past Violet and Katya, she has to look at the pair. Violet is showing Katya some photo on her phone, and Katya is silently laughing while trying not to drop the cigarette she has in her mouth. It’s not lighted, Katya has enough decency to not to smoke inside, but apparently she still has to have the illusion going on. She’s a heavy smoker, everyone including Trixie knows that.

“Hey, Tracy, wait up!” someone yells and even though Tracy definitely isn’t her name, she turns around to see who the yeller is. To her surprise, it’s Katya, who is smiling brightly (really, whose teeth are that white?) and making her way towards her. 

“It’s Trixie. Not Tracy,” Trixie says but can’t help smiling.  
“Whatever, Tina,” Katya laughs, “but can you tell me where the French class is?”

Trixie should probably be annoyed about Katya calling her by the wrong name - twice - but she can’t bring herself to do that. It’s just a part of Katya’s humor. After a short silence, Trixie realises Katya asked her a question and rushes to say something. “I thought you took Russian?” she says and wants to hit herself. Katya’s question has a simple answer and she couldn’t provide it. What a loser she is.

“I did! But after a few classes I realised I was light years ahead the rest of them. I’m Russian, you know, so I already know how to tell my name and ask where the bathroom is. I got bored so I decided to switch to French. That should be harder.”

It’s amazing, Trixie thinks, how Katya is probably the only person in the whole school who is actually trying to challenge themselves instead of just sleeping through the high school years. She doesn’t tell it to Katya, but she figures her face looks surprised anyways. She also didn’t know that Katya was Russian. Okay, the name is a pretty big clue, but Trixie just thought her mom or dad was from there.

“That’s… that’s really cool. We can go there together, if that’s alright? I’m in the French class too.”

“I know,” Katya chuckles, taking Trixie’s hand. Trixie doesn’t ask how she knows and just shows the way to the French classroom.

 

*

 

Katya decides to sit next to Trixie in the French class, and suddenly everything changes. Well, not everything. Just that the French classes Trixie used to hate become much more bearable. Oh, and, Katya and Trixie become friends. They’re an odd pair to be seen together, Katya with her Dr. Martens boots and Trixie with her pink slippers. Well, Trixie thinks, like her grandma used to say: What’s in the inside matters most. That’s the thing that matters in her and Katya’s friendship: insides. Trixie makes that joke once and Katya actually has to sit down and relax because she can’t stop laughing. Then Katya sincerely thanks Trixie and tells her that yes, people have told her that her intestines are a particularly beautiful shade of pink, and suddenly it’s Trixie’s turn to gasp for air because the laughter is never ending. 

They spend time together at school too, usually when Katya goes out to smoke. Violet doesn’t smoke and doesn’t want to go with Katya (“Katie, I’m not going to ruin my skin by standing in cigarette smoke.” so Katya just grabs Trixie by her hand and drags her outside with her. They talk, sometimes about their French teacher who is otherwise okay but doesn’t like Katya.

“Tamarind, can you believe she told me I pronounce my H’s wrong when I’m speaking English? Not French, but English. She’s my French teacher! I’m bilingual, that usually gets me extra points with language teachers but no, not with her, she just complains,” Katya rants angrily after blowing out a huge cloud of smoke. “Well, I’ll just have to throw a Molotov cocktail through her window. That’s what we true Siberia raised Russians do.”

As far as Trixie knows, Katya has never been in Siberia and actually grew up in Moscow, but she doesn’t say a word. It’s just better to let Katya rant out her frustration. 

“Why does Violet call you Katie?” she asks instead, trying to change the subject. Katya looks at her and laughs a little. 

“Oh, that’s just our thing. It’s not that she can’t pronounce my name, or, wait. Yeah, she can’t pronounce my name for shit, but that’s not the case”, Katya explains and stops only to put out her cigarette, “So, I do this thing where I call people by names that match their initials. In example, you’re Trixie… what’s your last name? I’ve never heard it.”

“Mattel. Trixie Mattel”, Trixie tells and gestures Katya to go on with the story.

“Nice name, by the way. Reminds me of my dead uncle,” at this point Trixie looks at Katya, Katya makes a weird sound and continues. “You’re Trixie Mattel, so I’d probably call you Tracy Martel or something like that. Never let me introduce you to anyone. Or let me, that would be fun.”

“You’ve called me Tina, Tamarind, Tobey, Tracy, Thomas, and Tasha. And that’s just today.”

“I know? I’m a genius woman, what can I say.”

“But what does that have to do with Violet calling you Katie?” 

“Oh, yeah, that. I called her Victoria a few times too much and she got angry. Like Mean Girls angry. Not quite Freddy Krueger angry. Almost. Apparently she hates Victoria Beckham,” Katya says and shrugs. 

“Apparently she hates her a lot.”

“I heard her mumbling about how she has murdered modern fashion. Nevertheless, Violet found out about my undying hate for Katie Hopkins and decided to start calling me Katie. What a rotten monster, I know.”

“Violet is a rotten monster?”

“No, Katie Hopkins is, but I guess Violet’s too. She’s a bitch, you know.”

 

*

 

One day they’re sitting under the huge tree in the schoolyard and chatting about random things. Well, Trixie’s the only one sitting since Katya claims she can’t sit. She says something about smoker lungs and breathing difficulties. That makes Trixie worried until she recognizes the blink in Katya’s eyes and relaxes. And, honestly, she doesn’t mind Katya standing. It offers her a nice view of Katya’s long legs without having to awkwardly look down. Yes, she likes to look at her best friend’s legs. That’s allowed, even though she has a huge crush on said best friend.

Katya complains about Violet’s new boyfriend who apparently bought her a diamond ring. “Tracy, can you imagine? He’s probably a predator. I’m sure of it. Who buys a diamond ring for a 17-year-old?”

“For his defence, he probably doesn’t know he bought it for a 17-year-old,” Trixie deadpans. Katya looks at her and starts laughing. It’s not a normal laugh, it’s Katya’s very own wheezy laugh, the one that sounds like she’s both dying and screaming at the same time.

“Oh my god. Trixie. That was good. That was really good,” Katya gets out between the bursts of laughter.

“Thank you, sir. Good to know that all the practicing in front of the mirror hasn’t gone to waste”, Trixie confesses with a straight face. That makes Katya laugh even harder. After laughing for a minute she sits down on the ground. 

“Your skirt is going to be green after that,” Trixie tells her and points to the grass.

“If it ain’t green, I ain’t interested.”

“Fuck off.”

“Gladly, you fucking clown.”

“Does that mean I should fuck a clown?”

“Shut up, Tobey. Let’s go to get something to eat.”

 

*

 

It goes on like that. Trixie and Katya spend more and more time together, and by the end of the month they are inseparable. Violet doesn’t mind, she only jokes that it was time for Katya to leave the nest. Of course Katya and Violet don’t stop being friends, they just add Trixie to the group. There’s also Fame, Max, and Pearl, Violet’s friends from other classes. Trixie’s happier than ever, and she knows it’s because of Katya. Katya’s stupid laugh and stupid hair and stupid smile and stupid clothes. Oh, the clothes. When they hang out after school, Trixie’s always surprised to see how ugly clothes Katya actually owns. There’s neon green leggings, dresses with patterns that hurt Trixie’s eyes, and so many jelly shoes that Trixie almost thinks Katya’s collecting them. 

While their friendship grows, it becomes harder and harder for Trixie to ignore her feelings for Katya. She loves her. As a friend, of course, but she wouldn’t mind being more to her. Trixie finds herself staring at Katya during French class, just looking at her and imagining things. She wants to be able to kiss her, comfort her, and just be there for her. Trixie wants to be everything to Katya, because Katya’s already everything to Trixie.

The worst thing is not knowing. Trixie tries to tell Katya about her feelings, really tries, but she just can’t say the words. In theory it’s easy: she could just say the words and get on with it. Then her imagination interferes, and she starts imagining all kinds of outcomes. The best one is clearly the one where Katya tells her that yes, of course she will date her, and then they go to Olive Garden for a romantic dinner because Katya loves that place. The rest of the scenarios are not that pretty. They vary from Katya ignoring her with a laugh to Katya being all vile and cruel and leaving her alone forever. She knows Katya would never leave her, but the thought of it makes her never want to confess her feelings to her. She loves Katya too much to let her go.

Of course, fate likes fucking with her. The day after Trixie decides not to do anything about her feelings for Katya, Katya asks her to wait for her after school. This is the perfect opportunity to get some distance between them, but as soon as Katya says please, Trixie has decided. Yeah, of course, she says and smiles brightly. Not as brightly as Katya, Trixie notes after Katya gives her an enthusiastic fist bump.

*

“Trixie! Trixie! Trixie!” Katya yells happily when she sees Trixie. Trixie lifts her gaze from her phone (she was playing Candy Crush) and smiles. Katya comes to Trixie, pulls her hair and says, “Come on, Trixie. I can’t stay in this building for two more seconds.” Trixie has no choice but to follow Katya. Not that she wants to do anything else.

They go to the giant tree again. The rock under the tree has kind of become their place, and Trixie sits on the rock again out of habit. Katya’s still standing, but it’s probably easier for her. Trixie tells that to her, and gets a confused look from Katya.

“You know, because you’re old.”

“I’m- I’m old? Oh, bitch, you’re like two months younger than I am,” Katya exclaims loudly.

“It’s a huge difference. In two months I might not be able to sit on this rock, but you’ll be dead.”

“Boohoo.”

“I swear I’ll come to your funeral. I’ll say some nice words and steal all your nice clothes. All two of them.”

“As if you could wear them as well as I do.”  
“Well, enjoy your lung cancer, smoker.”

“How dare you come for my lifestyle?” Katya says, laughing. Their conversations usually follow this pattern of half-hearted insults and bickering. It’s their own language: when Trixie says she’ll come to Katya’s funeral, she actually means that she likes her. When Katya calls Trixie a bitch, she means that she’s her best friend. That’s what their friendship is like.

“Do you mind if I try completing that fucking level on Candy Crush again? I feel like I’m not succeeding as a human being if I can’t get through it,” Trixie says after a moment.

“What level?” Katya asks with a smirk on her face.

“89.”

“That level is easy. I guess you’re just not a natural talent like me.”

“You don’t even play Candy Crush,” Trixie points out and gets her phone out of her pocket.

“Yeah, but if I did you know I would rule the world in it.”

“I’m pretty sure you can’t rule the world in Candy Crush.”

“Not if you’re not concentrating.”

“Katya, sometimes I-”

“Shh. Concentrate.”

So Trixie concentrates, and this time it only takes her three tries to complete the level. She looks up at Katya, ready to tell her about her success. Instead of seeing Katya doing the splits (she usually tries to play with her flexibility abilities when she’s bored) or texting Violet, she finds her looking at her with a strange look in her eyes.

“Katya? What’s up?” she doesn’t ask what’s wrong, because suddenly every cell in her is hoping that nothing is wrong. 

“Nothing much,” Katya answers and looks away. She’s avoiding Trixie’s eyes. That’s not encouraging at all, since Katya never looks away from her. She might do that, but Katya never does.

“Katya, please. The last time you avoided me was when - oh, never. You’ve never avoided me. Don’t start now. What’s on your mind?”

When Katya talks again, her voice is surprisingly casual. “Well, I was just thinking if I could kiss you.”

Trixie is glad that she’s sitting, because if she wasn’t, she probably would’ve fallen to the ground. She can’t believe Katya’s words, so she has to ask. “What?”

“Well, I was just thinking if I could kiss you,” Katya repeats and the honesty in her voice kills Trixie a little.

Now Trixie has to decide what the fuck she is going to do. She could laugh and dismiss the idea, but she can’t, can she? Katya’s clearly not joking, not right now. She can’t do that to her. No, she has to do something else. She could confess her feelings. What’s the better time than this? But Trixie can’t do that either. The risk of Katya joking is too big. If the blonde is actually joking and Trixie confesses her true emotions, their friendship would never go back to what it’s now. No, Trixie can’t risk that.

So she goes with her third option, which is the best from the bad bunch.

“Well… friends can kiss each other, can’t they?”

Katya looks at her like she’s in The Office (Katya loves that show and makes Trixie watch it with her even though Trixie doesn’t care about it) and breathes out. 

“Oh, you stupid clown. I wouldn’t be kissing you as a friend.”

Trixie probably has the stupidest look on her face, because Katya actually clarifies things to her. That never happens. “Look, Tracy, I want date you. I love your frizzy hair and your obsession with pink things. I would have a Barbie movie marathon with you only because you like them so much, and that’s something. I love you.”

Trixie has never in her life been speechless. She’s always been known for her ability to come up with a witty remark no matter what, but here she is, in front of Katya, and she can’t figure out anything to say.

“Well? If you’re going to reject me, do it quickly, because then I’ll have to run away to Violet and drink until I forget my own name,” Katya says, smiling.

“You shouldn’t do that. You don’t want your liver to quit with your lungs,” Trixie remarks quietly.

“Always so sensible, Tracy.”

There’s a minute of silence, when Trixie desperately tries to come up with an answer. It should be easy, goddamn, she’s been pining after this girl for weeks, but nothing comes up. All that’s going on in Trixie’s head is: oh my gooood she said she loves me loves me what am i going to doooo

Until finally: “I wouldn’t mind it.”

“Huh?”

“I said I wouldn’t mind it. If you kissed me. As more than friends,” Trixie admits and looks into Katya’s eyes.

“I thought you’d never say so.”

And when Katya leans down and kisses Trixie, it’s all okay.

Trixie thinks: Why didn’t this happen earlier? Katya thinks: Why didn’t I switch to French earlier?


End file.
